Instrumentation to Support Diver-AUV Cooperative Autonomy
Abstract
Publicly Releasable Project Summary/AbstractThe goal of this DURIP proposal is to provide an autonomous surface craft, the Jetyak, and associated undersea acoustic communications devices, to enable research in new capabilities for the cooperation of human scuba divers and autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs). The Jetyak is shown in Figures 1 and 2. We will procure a new electric propulsion version of the jetyak from Integrated Coastal Solutions (https://www.integratedcoastalsolutions.com/). We will outfit the system withundersea acoustic communications equipment fabricated by the WHOI Acoustic Communication Group (https://acomms.whoi.edu/) and will perform in-water experiments that connect a human swimmer/diver with the jetyak autonomous surface vehicle acting the role of an AUVin a safe and cost-effective manner. In addition, we request funds for an indoor motion capture system, with associated Machine Learning workstations, that will enable proxy experiments for the cooperation of humans and autonomous systems, for situations in whichthe human operators sensing capabilities are highly degraded. The Machine Learning workstations and motion capture system will alsohelp enhance our work on the NeuroAutonomy MURI that MIT is currently performing with Boston University. These systems will allow testing and development of autonomy software and algorithms in a cost- effective way in an indoor environment in our lab, year-round,to maximize the efficiency of our field testing. All of his hardware will be used directly and extensively by by Naval Officers that are studying for graduate degrees at MIT, via the MIT/Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution Joint Program in Applied Ocean Physics and Engineering, as well as the MIT 2N Engineering Duty Officer Program, and other ONR-supported graduate students at MIT.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Jan 12, 2023
- Source ID
- N000142312164
Entities
People
- John J. Leonard
Organizations
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology
- Office of Naval Research
- United States Navy